More than 300 helicopter-borne soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (1 R WELSH) have targeted a Taliban stronghold in one of their biggest operations since arriving in Helmand over a month ago.

1 R WELSH, who arrived in Helmand in December 2009 as part of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's troop uplift, have been conducting air assault operations in an area known as "The Babaji Pear", because of its distinctive shape on the map.

The "Pear" includes part of western Babaji, the area where fierce fighting took place last summer in Operation PANCHAI PALANG (PANTHER'S CLAW), and the north eastern Nad e-Ali region of Helmand province.

The area where the assault took place is an insurgent stronghold and the troops have been building up to this battle group operation with a series of smaller raids aimed at disrupting them.

Codenamed Operation BAMBIRIK, the Royal Welsh soldiers worked alongside the Afghan National Army during the four-day mission, with the Afghans making up a quarter of the force.

The Afghans, who are far better at engaging with locals who - until now - have never seen the new Afghan soldiers in this part of Helmand, were vital to the success of the operation.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Lock, Commanding Officer of 1 R WELSH, said: "We have been very impressed by them and there is no lack of courage in the Afghan soldiers. They want to get in and push out the Taliban. The Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police are a key part of our mission. They are excellent fighters and as we progress through the tour we will partner with more and more of them until we are working alongside a full Kandak, which is the equivalent of a British battalion."

The operation saw numerous contacts with the insurgents involving small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

On several occasions insurgents were seen to use children as human shields and locals were herded into the open in an attempt to draw fire.